The present invention relates generally to bicycles and, more particularly, to a bicycle handlebar and bicycle grip assemblies that dampen and isolate a rider from vibrations associated with operation of the bicycle.
Handlebar grips are a common accessory on bicycles. Handlebar grips allow a user to more comfortably control and interact with the handlebar to manipulate the front wheel to steer the bicycle and to maintain control of the bicycle. Handlebar grip assemblies, particularly those used on off-road or mountain bicycles are preferably soft on the outside so that they can be held with sufficient pressure to maintain control of the bicycle without irritating the rider's hands when the bicycle is ridden over rough terrain. Although many different manufacturers provide a wide variety of grip configurations, there are a number of bicycles whose construction limits the use of such widely available padded grip assemblies.
Bicycles intended to be ridden upon paved surfaces, commonly referred to as road bikes, are provided with a generally curvilinear handlebar assembly. Such handlebars provide various grip positions so that a rider can periodically adjust the position of their torso to reduce fatigue and improve aerodynamic function Commonly, such handlebars allow the rider to maintain a “tuck” position and a slightly more upright, but still forward inclined portion. Unfortunately, such handlebar assemblies commonly have distal ends that are ill-positioned for use with many of the known padded grip assemblies. In an effort to reduce agitation of the rider's hands caused by interaction with such handlebars, many riders/manufacturers commonly wrap such handlebars with grip tape and/or padded, leather, or foam type tapes to improve the ability of the rider to grip such bars. Even with such wraps, there is a desire to provide a handlebar assembly that dampens vibration and/or otherwise better isolates a rider from the handlebar vibrations associated with bicycle operation.
Many off-road bicycles or mountain bicycles are equipped with a fairly robust and generally straight shaped handlebar. Such handlebars are shaped and constructed to withstand vigorous rider interaction associated with off-road riding. Although such handlebars can conveniently cooperate with any of a number of grip assemblies, such handlebar assemblies relegate vibration isolation or shock dampening performance to the bicycle steerer assembly or to a grip assembly secured to the handlebar. Providing a vibration dampening steerer assembly substantially increases the complexity and the cost associated with the steerer assembly and also increases the weight of the resultant bicycle assembly. With respect to aftermarket or other supplemental handlebar grip assemblies, such grip assemblies are commonly rigidly secured to the handlebar. Unfortunately, many of the mounting arrangements of such supplemental grip assemblies also result in at least partial undesirable communication of the vibration of the handlebar to the hands of the rider via the grip assembly. Furthermore, such grip assemblies must also be provided with a robust construction to withstand the vibration of the handlebar and the user interaction therewith. Accordingly, such an assembly unnecessarily increases the overall weight of the handlebar assembly and only minimally offsets the detriments of handlebar vibration.
Therefore, there is a need to provide a handlebar assembly, handlebar and grip assembly, and/or grip assembly constructed to absorb and/or dissipate a portion of the vibration associated with bicycle operation. There is a need for a bicycle handlebar, handlebar and grip, and/or grip assembly that better isolates the rider from the vibrations associated with interaction with the steering assembly during operation of the bicycle. It would also be desirable to provide a handlebar and grip, and/or grip assembly that is both robust and lightweight and which dampens vibration associated with bicycle operation. It is further desired to provide a bicycle handlebar and grip assembly wherein both the handlebar and the grip assembly each reduce or limit vibrations communicated to a rider via the steering control assembly.